Artredis takes out contract on 'Shooting Silvio'

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CANNES -- "Shooting Silvio," the controversial indie film that tells a fictional tale about a young outcast obsessed with killing Italian billionaire, media tycoon and three-time Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, has found its first foreign buyer.

According to co-writer and director Berardo Carboni, the 96-minute film was picked up by Pierre-Richard Muller's Artedis Cinema Arts SA for France, who will also handle worldwide sales. The film will screen for other potential buyers Thursday in the Palais.

The film is based on the story of an orphan called Kurtz -- played by Federico Rosati -- who boasts that he wants to kill the prime minister as a way to attract attention. But eventually, the act becomes an obsession.

Making the film was a mission for Carboni, who raised its budget of €140,000 ($190,000) through local fundraising.

The final product has attracted a great deal of controversy in Italy, where Berlusconi is a polarizing figure. But the 31-year-old first-time director claims the film is not meant to be overtly political.

"The film is about the journey of the main character who discovers himself as he fantasizes about shooting Silvio," Carboni said.

Carboni said the film is already being distributed independently in Italy, showing on around 30 screens.